Stage: Choosing a Topic

1. Stage 1: Choosing a topic
“It seems to me that writing is a marvelous way of making sense of
one’s life, both for the writer and the reader.” John Cheever
1. Reflect on the meaning of Cheever’s quote.
2. Use the chart below to brainstorm a list of each category of potential
writing topics for you to explore and share with your readers/

2. 3. Share the lists with a partner. As you listen to one another and discover
similar ideas, add them to your initial list of potential writing topics.
4. Read through your list, and circle one topic from each category that is of
particular interest to you and that you can write about fully. Select one circled
topic to share with a partner. Use the following questions to guide your partner
discussion:
• What happened?
• Who was involved, and how did the people involved respond?
• Why is this experience memorable?
• Who might benefit from your sharing this experience?

3. 5. Explore your topic further using the RAFT strategy to explore the writer’s
persona or role and purpose, to identify possible audiences, and to select an
appropriate format or mode of writing to convey the purpose
Athlete
Student
Expert
Character
Parents
Teacher
Community
Peers
Argue
Urge
Explain
Defend
Narrative
Essay
Poem
Letter